Mr Imich, the world's oldest man at 111, died peacefully in his New York apartment on Sunday morning. Over the span of his life, the world changed. As a youngster, cars were just being invented. Now self-driving cars are becoming a reality. He died just weeks before his 112th birthday and was officially credited as the world's oldest man by the Gerontology Research Group in California. The supercentenarian (someone who lives past 110 years) saw two world wars, the Titanic sink and the Berlin Wall come down, but, in an interview last month, he claimed mankind's greatest triumph was the invention of the airplane. The Wright Brothers successfully tested their first plane when he was a baby.

www.wright-house.com

~Thoughts on aging from an over 70 year-old~ During meditation this morning, I sat in peace, no longer troubled by petty wrangles from colleagues or neighbors. I compared my life to my daily stroll up and down the steep footpath outside my home. Walking on two legs with the aid of four wheels, I'm like a beetle, passed by scurrying ants with their legs flashing by so fast I can hardly catch their movement. And on the narrow road beside me, cars whiz by like insects. It seems to me that when age forces a withdrawal from the helter-skelter rush of society, an aging person is forced to look into themselves and see their attributes. I've made many mistakes in my life, but I've forgiven myself and moved on. Now is the perfect time to write. For me, that writing takes the form of novels, where I can infuse my stories with experience and imagination.

I formed a collaboration with Edith Parzefall to write the futuristic Higher Ground series about Cornwall, Britland. Here's an excerpt from Golden Submarine which shows our adventurers' understanding from passed-on memories of the before-times.

Something protruded from the rock beside him. Flaking red and grey paint dotted the ground. He bent close to a line of scurrying ants. A clear shiny substance, like wings of a dragonfly, covered some crumbling material that resembled soft white bark. With a light touch to avoid more damage, he grasped the object. The wrapping filled the palm of his hand. Something hard inside. He reached through a slit and pulled out a metal object smaller than an oak leaf. Hm, what was it? A long square box with windows in the side. Six tiny wheels spun along the bottom. Once, he’d dreamed about sitting inside a gigantic version of this thing. He’d been with Cerridwen and she’d called it a train. Felt like a dragon had swallowed them and hurtled along the ground with them bouncing in its stomach. His memory faded, he couldn’t recall what the dream had been about. Only that she was there with him, telling him everything was all right. Aron studied the small wheel-thing in his hand. A train for ants? He snorted. About to throw the before-times trash away, he changed his mind. He’d ask Cerridwen if she’d seen anything like it before.

The adventurers in our futuristic novels often find object buried in their path and try to work out what they were used for. Start by reading the first in the series, Wind Over Troubled Waters. Click on the sidebar to see it on Amazon. Back to reality. If you were interviewed today, what events would you place as the most important?

One of the most significant events to change the world happened way before my time ... the invention of the printing press in 1453. With it we acquired the ability to share ideas beyond the limits of space and time. Today that opportunity has accelerated with computers and the internet.

Hmmm interesting question! One of my main focuses right now is to slow down enough each day to reflect back on the day . . . instead of rushing to cross one more thing off my list! I haven't really taken the time to reflect back over MANY years. Will now! Thanks!

The invention of the electric light bulb is pretty big. Now we have the 24 hour day. I was born before electricity in a village in China. I remember I was six when I saw my first electric light bulb, dangling from the ceiling in a hotel in Canton. It was so bright.

I'm only 24 so there's not a lot to choose from for me,I mostly think about negative events such as 9/11.

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Bill Bartlett

6/10/2014 09:04:48 am

I'd have to say the development of the computer ranks high on the list. I remember reading a short story nearly fifty years ago and it spoke of how everyone carried a hand-held computer. The story was science fiction. If it weren't for the computer, I wouldn't be able to write. I've corrected errors in this short note that would resulted in erasures that would perforate over a dozen pages of paper. My dyslexia, mild as it is, would keep me from writing and the stories I've shared throughout the world would be stillborn, small and lifeless, unseen by anyone except my own restless imagination. Computers have impacted more than my own petty life, important as it is to me and those I love. A culture that spans the globe and shares information, tragedy and triumphs wouldn't be possible. Inroads to a true peace, as well as those that actively fight against it, are conceivable because of the small, powerful and ubiquitous computer.

What first thing that struck me about this post, Francene - you have a young active mind.
During my life: Television was invented. I'm not saying it's the greatest invention but it sure fascinates me and gives me more information than I might otherwise seek. I agree with Bill, I'd be lost without my computer.

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Francene Stanley:﻿Author﻿I use news items in my fantasy novels.

Born in Australia, I moved to Britain half way through my long life. If you like my writing, why not consider purchasing one of my books on the sidebar below?I blogged 260 days last year. Link.